The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-04-23
OWNING A GUM.
Story of q hoy Who Got What He Want
ed, But Expected Too Much-How the
Rabbits Were Killed.

ed, hut Expected Too Much-How the
Rabbits Were Killed.
l had been wanting a shotgun for
three or four years desperately want
ing one. l had even gone so far as to
ask my fathers permission to buy an
old musket, worth nothing, although l
did not know it at the time. 1t was an
old, rickety, powder-burnt concern.
worth about twenty-five cents; and its
owner taking advantage of my eager
desire TO possess a gun. caused me to
believe it was worth five dollars, a sum
which Iagrced to pay. upon condition
that l succeeded in obtaining my faith
er's consent.
My father happened to be familiar
with guns, and knocked the whole
arrangement in the head. ''Besides
you are too young to have a gum he
would say, ''you are too small potatoes
to even look at q gum
My boyish hopes were thus prostrat-
cd, only to swell again the moment l
caught sight Of a gun. Every time l
saw a man carrying one, l was thrown
into a perfect frenzy.
l always wanted to borrow the gun.
II the owner would not lend, to buy it,
and if it could not be bought, to fire it
off always met with refusal. ! re-
member going one day two miles
through the rain to borrow a gun, and
was refused, the owner declaring that
he wanted to kill u mess of squirrels
that afternoon. But l afterward learned
that he had no intention Of going hunt
ing. remember the event wildly rs
though it were but yesterday.
l called ut the mans house, wet to
the skin, and inquired for j. In
answer to my inquiry, Mrs. J-s said
he was at the stable watching for
rats" How my heart bounded! II
will get to see a rat shot" I thought as
I hurried to the stable. Perhaps he
will let me shoot one," and this last
thought quickened my steps.
Arriving at the stable l opened the
door, entered, and upon Mr.. Us
motion to be quiet, crouched down in
a corner and waited patiently for, at
least, three hours.
l was so eagerth that I supposed l must
have seen u dozen rats, and kept Won
dcring why he didn't shoot, although
Mr.. J. declared that he didn't see a
single rat!
l have related this in order TO illus
trate my eager desire to possess a gun
and make myself a hero by killing
something. Every time l went to town
l bothered the hardware man, who
would stimulate my desire to the high
est pitch by long and fascinating
eulogies on his old pot-metal artillery.
So things proceeded in u similar man.
ner for three or four years, before my
father consented to get me a gun.
Has any one Of my readers ever rca-
lied q long expectation :
Has any one Of you ever obtained a
long-sought-for and much desired
something? Oh! rejoice with me. ex-
perienced reader. for my joy was as
boundless as limitless as the ocean cur
rent.
l was 10 wild, so enthusiastic that I
could think and talk of nothing but
the coming gun, which had been
ordered, and was. l supposed. already
on the route. My father feared my
brain had become unbalanced, and
threatened to revoke his promise. which
greatly alarmed and quoted me.
He told me that l was too eager; that |
was expecting too much; that ! was do.
Ing to much Dragging; and he predict
cd that / would be unsuccessful in the
art Of cunning. OF course all my com.
panions were made acquainted with the
fact that l was to have 4 gun.
And what pleasure I experienced in
relating to them an exciting. imagine
ry chase, similar to those I soon ex-
pectcd to be a participant inl
Well. to he brief, my gun came; but
II was not as nice a. / had expected.
Instead Of ncat, handy little gun, as
! wanted, 1t was . monster. weighing
twelve pounds. As the hunting . a
son had arrived, l begged that father
would not sent II back, and he con.
sentcd.
A snow was falling on the very day
received my gun. and had not ceased
vt nightfall.